Divvy - I too am pretty sure I got a couple of jobs thanks to the school I attended and it was made quite obvious as everyone at the group induction for my first past time job went to a private school...

Shell, I think I know the schools you are talking about! The one where people bribe the principle and move into the zone to get in lol is that the one up the road from me??

Afm...I attended a private school in a "well-to-do" suburb for primary up to year 10 and then did VCE at a public school!! Why? Because the public school offered MORE subjects - the ones I wanted to do and were relevant to my uni choices. I really think I had the best education - the best of both worlds. I loved the school I did VCE at - yeah it was a culture shock and I admit I was part of the minority in that I was a bit of a nerd and cared about my studies. Having said that, a lot of people from the public school didn't go on to tertiary studies whereas most people from the private school did. I found that having come from the private school I had, I was more disciplined and took exams more seriously than a lot of the other kids who'd often use their free periods (or just skip class) to go down to the beach or to the shops, whereas I'd go and study!!

I don't think I'd be prepared to go into that sort of debt per child for private education. If DS and any future bubs we might have are bright and academic, there a a few selective public schools around that they can sit a test for or if we have the money then we'd consider private school but I don't think it's a neccessity.

Oh and one thing about private schools is the ridiculously expensive uniforms A summer uniform, a winter uniform, a sports uniform - I remember when I left I didn't even consider selling my uniform and I gave a lot of it to a friend of mine and boy did my mum go ballistic when she found out I gave it away!!